


Recruiting Peter.

by porcelainsimplicity, Scarlett_Phoenix



Category: X-Men (Movies), X-Men (Movieverse), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) - Fandom
Genre: Charles is Erik's Babysitter, Erik's Attempt at Parenting, Flashback Sequence, Gen, Mutant Recruitment, Past Relationship(s), Post-Film, Telepathic Conversations, implied previous relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-23
Updated: 2014-06-23
Packaged: 2018-02-05 20:32:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1831324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/porcelainsimplicity/pseuds/porcelainsimplicity, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scarlett_Phoenix/pseuds/Scarlett_Phoenix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Charles and Erik try to recruit Peter. Post-DOFP.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Recruiting Peter.

**Author's Note:**

> We're back with another of our ideas. We really put some thought into this one. We even spent half an hour trying to work out ages of characters at certain points of the movieverse that aren't even in this fic or have any bearing on it. So if you like it, please let us know!

Hank was standing there when the doors to Cerebro opened and Charles came wheeling out. "Well?"

"He's staking out Peter's house again," Charles said, looking up at him. "I think we need to warn Peter about him."

Hank nodded. "So I should prepare the jet then?"

"I think that would be best, yes." Charles wheeled past Hank before pausing and turning back around. "We need to get there as soon as possible. I don't know when Erik is going to make his move."

Hank just kept walking, turning to go into a room. "I'll get the flight plan ready so we can file it with the airport and get in the air as soon as possible."

"Thank you, Hank."

True to his word, Hank had them in the air in a couple of hours, and had arranged for a rental car already once they arrived at the airport in DC. Hank drove them to Peter's house, took one look at it, and sighed.

"I don't know how we're going to get you up those steps, Charles."

Charles looked over and sighed. "I don't think we are. Just get my wheelchair please."

Hank did as Charles asked, and Charles had just maneuvered his way into it when they heard a familiar voice.

"Since when can you not walk?"

Charles turned his wheelchair around to find Peter standing there, Pink Floyd t-shirt and those ridiculous goggles perched on his head. "It's complicated."

"So why are you here?" Peter asked, suddenly leaning against the car. "I mean, your flight plan just says you're going back to New York, and your rental car agreement is just for the day. Oh, by the way, why did you have me break a lunatic out of prison? You're not here to get me to break another lunatic out of prison are you? 'Cause as much fun as that was, I think I'm going to have to pass."

"Peter," Charles said, looking over at Hank. "Slow down."

"I can't slow down," Peter said, from behind Charles, laying down in the grass. "You all are just too slow. Can you answer my questions please?"

“We are not here to get you to break in to anything,” Charles began. “We're here because we're concerned that Erik is going to show up here to get you.”

“Get me?” Peter said, sitting on the hood of the car. “Get me to do what? Because whatever it is might be fun, but I'm not sure I want anything to do with that lunatic. Also, you still haven't told me why you had me break him out of prison. Must have been very important to break out a guy who is completely insane.”

“It's complicated,” Charles said. “But Peter...”

“So the fact that you can't walk is complicated, the fact that you had me break a crazy guy out of prison is complicated,” Peter said, his silver jacket suddenly on. “You know what I hate? When adults tell me things are too complicated for me to understand. I'm sixteen, not six. I am capable of understanding stuff.”

Charles sighed heavily and looked over at Hank, and Hank cleared his throat. “We needed Magneto to help us stop something from happening. He did, he just went entirely too far in the process.”

“Why do you carry a copy of the periodic table in your pocket?” Peter said, standing next to Hank and going through his wallet. “Are you that much of a dork?”

“Peter,” Charles interrupted, “it is imperative that you listen to us about Erik. He is a very dangerous man to be around. He...hello Erik.” _What do you want with him?_

"Charles, are you honestly trying to turn him against me already? I deserve an equal opportunity to recruit him," Erik said, walking over into their view. _The same thing you do, my old friend._

"Recruiting?" Peter asked, and the hat on Erik's head disappeared. "Recruiting me for what?"

Charles sighed as the hat was suddenly on his head, and he took it off, handing it back to Erik. "Fine, Erik. We will each make our pitch and let Peter decide." _I highly doubt that we want the same things for Peter._

"After you," Erik said, taking the hat from Charles and putting it back on his head. _We both want him to be the best mutant he can be, right? So yes, we want the same things for Peter._

_Oh Erik, how could you possibly think that our methods for doing that are even remotely close to the same thing._ Charles turned his attention back to Peter. "Peter, I run a school for people like us."

Erik's voice came echoing through his mind. _Play nice, Charles. I did not come here to get into a conflict with you._

"The one that you had a card in your wallet for? You said it was an old card."

"Well, it was. But it's not anymore. I would like you to come be one of our students." Charles glanced over at Erik. _Then what did you come here for?_

"Charles, the school isn't reopened yet," Hank said softly.

_I came here to recruit the boy,_ Charles heard. _And I'm not leaving until I do._

"Hank, stop talking," Charles replied. "In addition to your normal studies, I will teach you how to control your gift and use it to its highest potential." _Do not tempt me, Erik. You do not have your helmet to protect you. I could make you walk away and never come back here._

"So, like, I have to sit through all the boring stuff of my current school, but you would teach me how to run faster? Do you already know how fast I run?" Peter asked. "Because it's like fast. I could probably run to New York faster than you could fly back there."

_You would never do that Charles, and you know it._

"Yes, Peter, you can run fast. But you're not using your gift for the right purposes. You could be doing so much good if you focused on the right things instead of stealing donuts from a convenience store."

Peter stared at Charles for a moment, then popped up behind Erik, stealing his hat again. "What about you? What do you want me for?" 

Erik sighed at the loss of his hat once again. "With me, you wouldn't have to hide, Peter. You could use your gift to its highest potential and use it for your own good as well as others."

Peter reappeared in front of all of them, Erik's hat on his head. "One, I don't hide. Two, I'm not sure I want a guy who dropped a stadium on the White House to tell me what to do. So you're going to have to do better than that."

"Alright, you don't hide now, but you will as soon as you go with Charles," Erik said. "With me, you wouldn't be trapped inside the walls of a mansion."

"Trapped inside the walls of a mansion?" Charles interrupted. _I don't recall you ever feeling trapped inside the walls of my mansion, Erik._

"You could roam free, Peter," Erik continued. _Oh, I did, Charles. You have no idea._ "You enjoyed breaking me out of prison, didn't you? We could do more of that, save people like us from their fate at the hands of the humans."

"Yes, Erik, by all means, set him down that path. He'll be on the run for the rest of his life!" _You were only ever trapped under me, my friend._

Erik sent Charles a quick glare. "He'll be on the run for the rest of his life no matter what, Charles. It's what he can do." _Don't you dare bring that up._

Peter coughed to get their attention, and they noticed he was now sitting on top of the car. "You two talk entirely too slowly for me, you know that?"

"Look, Peter," Hank said, stepping towards the car to get his attention. "Charles and I just want what's best for you. Erik just wants to exploit you."

"Like Charles hasn't been exploiting you for years, Beast," Erik said, making Hank growl.

"Look, the only one I know of that wants what's best for me is the woman inside that house," Peter said, pointing to his house. "The rest of you, I just don't know. You two wanted me to break someone out of the Pentagon, and you are the one I broke out."

"Your mother," Erik said, staring at the house and then back at Peter. "She's the one you said who knew a man who could bend metal?"

"That's not my mother, that's Marya," Peter said, Erik's hat back on his head and Peter lying on the grass in front of the house again. "My mother Magda is the one who knew a man like that. But she died a long time ago."

Charles tried hard not to let the shock come across his face as he heard Magda's name. _Erik, are you alright?_

> _"So I've told you everything there is to know about my love life prior to you," Charles said, shifting around in the bed to look at Erik. "What about yours?"_
> 
> _"Well," Erik said, taking Charles's hand, "there was this woman I met after I escaped from the camp. Her name was Magda. She was probably the most beautiful woman I ever met, brown hair, blue eyes. I knew her for seven months before I married her. We were happy for the few years I was with her. I tried to move on with my life, but as soon as I heard of a place Schmidt might be...I couldn't pass up on the chance. I told Magda I would be gone for a couple of weeks. But as you know, weeks turned into months, and months into years. Two years ago I found out she died in a car accident. I didn't forget about her, Charles. I was too caught up."_

Erik felt his heart stop when he heard Magda's name. He hadn't thought of her since he'd told Charles about her, and now he was faced with the possibility that Peter was his and Magda's son. He didn't know what to think. _I'm fine,_ he lied. _Does he know?_

Charles knew damn well that Erik wasn't fine, but didn't press the issue. He brought his fingers up to his temple for a brief moment. _No,_ he answered, _though he has suspicions._

"Like I said, you two talk way too slowly for me. Have you even said a word in the last five minutes?" Peter asked, suddenly next to Charles and examining his wheelchair. "Are you that much of a megalomaniac that you needed your initial in the wheels?"

"How do you know that's his initial?" Hank asked, and Peter just rolled his eyes.

"I've been through his wallet. He has a driver's license. It has his name on it," Peter said ridiculously slowly, as though he was talking to a small child. "He's Charles Xavier, and there is an X in those wheels. Like I said, megalomaniac."

_Good,_ Erik replied, relieved. _Now wouldn't be best to mention it._ "Peter, you could go beyond what you know with me or be limited with them. Whatever you and your moth-," Erik stopped himself. He knew what Magda would choose for Peter if she was given the option and things were different. Marya was just as wise as Magda. She'd know for sure what was best for the kid. "Marya. Whatever you and Marya decide is for the best. Charles and I won't force you into anything."

Peter was suddenly right in front of Erik, and Erik realized for the first time that he had Magda's eyes. "Look, I think you're a lunatic, but you make a good case. However, I know what Marya would want for me, and what my mother would have wanted for me too, and that's not to go with the guy who dropped a stadium on the White House. So I'm going with Charles. No offense."

Charles smiled at Hank and wheeled himself over towards Peter and Erik. "Excellent choice, Peter."

"I've got one rule for you though," Peter said, suddenly crouched down in front of the wheelchair. "You never, ever, ask me to break someone out of the Pentagon again. I mean, it was fun and stuff, but like, I don't want to get arrested."

"I promise," Charles said. _Are you okay with this?_

_Yes,_ Erik lied again. "I'll be on my way then. I do hope we will meet again one day." _Take care of him Charles._

"Yeah," Peter said, sitting on the roof of the car again. "You never know, I might hate this school and change my mind. You shouldn't be too hard to find. Just go to wherever shit is going down and you're about guaranteed to be there."

_I will, Erik. I promise._

Erik laughed. "Until next time then." 

Charles and Hank watched as Erik walked away, and then Charles turned towards Peter. "I'm afraid I can't get into your house, Peter, so do you mind asking Marya to come out here?"

Peter was off the car and walking up the steps in a flash. "I'll get her. You stay there."

As soon as Peter was in the house, Hank turned to Charles. "Charles, we have no school for him to come to."

"Yes we do," Charles said. "We have everything that we needed last time around. It's just a little dusty. Think about it Hank. If we put Peter to work helping to get the mansion back into shape, with his speed, think of how quickly things will get done."

Hank thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "Alright then. I trust you, Charles. And well, we do need students again."

"That's the spirit," Charles said, looking over at the door as Peter came out with the woman who had greeted them months earlier. "Now, Hank, let me do all the talking."

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The three of them entered the mansion, Charles leading the way. Hank walked up next to him and set Peter's two suitcases down, and as soon as he did, they disappeared. Hank looked behind him for Peter only to hear laughter. He turned back and found Peter standing in front of them, Pink Floyd t-shirt gone and replaced by that garish silver jacket and the ridiculous goggles. 

"You've changed your clothes already?"

Peter just rolled his eyes. "You've got great observational skills, you know that?"

Hank growled and Charles put his hand up. "Hank, that's enough. Peter, would you like a tour of the house?"

"Did it," Peter said, leaning up against the wall. "Nice place."

"Alright," Charles said. "Let's get you settled into a room then."

"Did that too," Peter replied. "Hope you don't mind, but I picked one of the singles. I'd drive a roommate insane."

"Okay," Charles said, trying again. "Perhaps Hank can take you on a tour of the grounds."

"Just ran twenty laps around the mansion. And it's a really nice mansion, by the way. You must be filthy rich."

Charles sighed. "What haven't you already done?"

Peter smiled. "Play around in the lab."

"No," Hank said seriously. "You are not allowed to touch anything in there."

Peter laughed. "Too late for that. Don't worry, I didn't mix anything together or anything like that."

Hank growled again, and Charles looked at him to see his forehead turning blue. "Hank, control yourself."

"By the way," Peter said, "since everyone knows you as Professor X and knows you as Beast, I want to be known as something too. No more Peter. I want to be Quicksilver."

"Quicksilver," Charles said, smiling at him. "I like it. How about we go into my office and talk then? Let me tell you a little more about the school."

Peter grinned and followed Charles down the hallway. "Are you going to explain downstairs to me? Because that is some super advanced technology you've got down there and I can't wait to play with it."

Charles sighed and called out. "Hank, please make sure that Peter-"

"Quicksilver," Peter interrupted.

"Quicksilver," Charles corrected, "cannot enter the downstairs area please."

"Got it," Hank said, heading towards the elevator. 

"Why can't I go down there?" Peter asked as they continued down the hall. "It looks like so much fun to play with."

"That is exactly why you can't go down there," Charles said. "That stuff is not a bunch of toys. Now, Peter, have you ever read a book called _The King and I_?"

"Quicksilver," Peter corrected. "No more Peter."

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Erik made his way through the Xavier Institute, slightly hopeful that his son would change his mind and leave with him. He had heard that some mutants filled the school, but it was quiet. No one wandered down the halls. Erik was thankful for that. 

When he reached Charles's study, he had hoped the man was there and alone. Once he opened the door he noticed there were a group of students, Peter being one of them, and Charles at his desk. "Sorry for interrupting," he said, almost halfway out the door. _You should have warned me,_ Erik thought out.

_I was a little preoccupied._ "Come in Erik. Alright, everyone, let's stop there for today. You are all dismissed," Charles said. "Except for you, Quicksilver."

Peter looked at Charles. "Do I really have to stay?"

"He is here to talk to you, not me," Charles said once the room had cleared of students. "Go ahead, Erik."

Erik walked over closer to Peter and Charles. "Are you liking it here at this place?"

"Well," Peter said, looking over at Charles. "I hate all the book stuff. But the training stuff, that's a blast. I have so much fun tormenting Beast."

Charles shook his head slightly. "I do believe Hank would like you a lot more if you stayed out of his lab."

"Sure he would," Peter said. "But what would be the fun in that?"

"Not everything in life is about fun, Quicksilver," Charles said.

"I know," Peter said, turning towards Erik. "So, what do you want this time?"

"I've only come to see how you are and if you changed your mind. But I see you haven't," Erik said, hoping he didn't sound disappointed even though he was.

Peter just shook his head. “No offense, but I'd rather stay here with my friends than hang out with a guy wearing a cape. Why do you wear the cape anyway? It looks ridiculous. I could totally get you some better clothes, you know, so you didn't look so stupid.”

_Erik, he still doesn't know that he's your son,_ Charles thought. _Perhaps you should tell him._ “Quicksilver, I thought we had a discussion about your kleptomania.”

_No, Charles. Not yet._

“We did,” Peter said, appearing next to the desk. “But, like, it's going to take awhile to get it out of my system, you know? I've been doing it for so long. And come on, you can't tell me that you would disapprove of me getting him some new clothes.”

“I am not here to comment on Erik's sartorial choices,” Charles said, looking up at Erik. “Is there anything else you'd like to say to him?”

"No. That's all I have to say," Erik said, looking at them both before he walked out of the study.

“He's weird,” Peter said, looking at Charles. “Why did you have me break him out of prison anyway?”

“Sometimes, Quicksilver, I wonder that myself,” Charles said. “You are dismissed.”

Charles didn't even flinch when Peter just disappeared.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been five months since Erik stepped foot in the mansion. He was determined to get answers tonight even though he knew what they would be. He needed to hear it instead of the conversation playing out in his head. He quickly made his way to Charles's study. At this time of night he was bound to be there, not disturbed. "What are you doing with him, Charles?" Erik asked, opening and closing the door quickly. "Why are you having him join some silly team when he should be free? You're tying him down."

Charles just shook his head and reached for the bottle of scotch he kept in the bottom drawer of his desk. "Why do you think you can just walk in here whenever you want? You do realize how much you scare the children, don't you? Especially when you come dressed like that," he said, pointing to Erik's armor and cape. "I don't know why you seem to feel that wearing that nonsense is necessary here."

"I didn't think about changing before I came here," Erik said. "And what's it matter anyway? I'm not here about me, Charles. I see you've still kept your drinking habit. Are you sure you should keep that up with however many kids you have?"

“I have only two reasons to drink, Erik. You and your son,” Charles said, pulling a glass out of the drawer and pouring himself one. “Are you here to see if Peter will leave with you again or are you here to finally take responsibility and tell him that he is your son?”

"For one, it's too late at night to tell him and I imagine he's had a heck of a day so I best not ruin it," Erik said, taking a seat near the desk. "So yes, I've come to see if he's changed his mind."

"I highly doubt he is asleep," Charles said, taking a long sip of his scotch. "Knowing him, he's probably running laps around the property. You are lucky that he didn't see you. But no, he has not changed his mind. He has grown to love it here, and he is one of the most qualified of the students under consideration for becoming part of the team, yes."

"I thought he didn't like his studies. He really wants to become that?" Erik asked quietly.

"He doesn't like the traditional school subjects," Charles said. "He's horrible at history, his mathematics skills are almost non-existent, and I will not even begin to tell you how hopeless he is at chemistry. But when it comes to his combat training, no one works harder than he does. He's a highly skilled fighter now, Erik. He can use his extraordinary gift for far better uses than robbing a convenience store of its donuts. He keeps himself in incredible shape because he's running all the time, and he's proven to be quite a leader when we put a group of them through tests. If he didn't want to join the team, I would assume that he wouldn't be working as hard as he is."

The door opened before Erik could say anything else, and they both turned to look at it. Peter's head was sticking through the opening and when he noticed Erik, he sighed. "Not again."

"Come in, Quicksilver," Charles said, and Peter was in the room with the door shut in an instant. "First, why were you about to come in here?"

"Um, I was just going to say goodnight?"

Charles reached for his drink. "The real reason, please."

"I may have left for awhile and I was just wondering if you'd noticed the fact that I was gone?"

"Do not make me call you Peter."

"Alright, alright," Peter said, suddenly by the desk. "I was hungry, so I was cruising the local convenience stores for something good to eat, and I may have taken a lot of it back to my room."

"You really have to stop doing that." Charles took a long sip from his drink. "Alright, Erik, he's all yours."

"Charles is right," Erik sighed. "You do need to stop stealing. I wouldn't let you do that even if you had come with me instead.” _I'm surprised you haven't made him return them._ “I also heard you have a nice education here. I could have given you a better one with no issues at all."

"I said I'd try to stop. And I've stopped a lot! I don't do it near as much as I used to," Peter said, popping up in the seat next to Erik. "Also, I don't have issues. I have bad grades but badass fighting skills. If the Professor here would stop hounding me about things I'll never use for the rest of my life, I'd be fine."

Charles took another sip of his drink. _Do you really think I haven't already tried that?_ "You would be surprised how much you need the basic things you learn in school."

"Sure. I can imagine how useful memorizing poetry is going to be to the rest of my life," Peter said, turning towards Erik. "So what do you want me to do this time? Break into a bank? Break into an office to get you some secret file? Break into your house because you've lost the keys?"

“Two nights ago, one of my members went to jail. Just hear me out before you say no," Erik said, looking at Peter. "They won't let me bail him out. He's young and it was an accident. He was being foolish when I strictly told him not to be. So now I fear for his own safety and I told his sister I would do all I could for him. This was my last resort. I understand if it's a no, but I thought I might as well try here," he said, already knowing the answer from the looks of their faces.

Charles took a deep breath and looked over at Peter, who, to his great relief, was shaking his head no.

"Look, I'm sure that this guy is a good guy in your eyes," Peter said. "But you're also the guy who dropped a stadium on the White House. I may have broken you out of the Pentagon for a reason that no one has told me _still_ , but my jailbreaking days are over, okay? So, sorry, but I'm not doing it."

"I understand. It was just a thought I acted on. I won't bother either of you again or show up without a warning. I'm happy for you both," Erik said.

_You do not mean that. And you should tell him who you are if you do._ "Erik," Charles started, unable to come up with words to say for a few moments. "I am sorry that we cannot help you."

"Yeah, sorry," Peter said. "I mean, I want to, you know, help a fellow mutant out and everything, but it's not worth the risk, and I'm not entirely certain that I can trust you."

"It's alright," Erik said, standing up. _You know I can't. He wouldn't understand._ "I'll get out of your way then," he said, walking his way to the door. "Goodbye."

"Erik," Charles called out, making him stop. "I won't help you break this young mutant out of jail, but there are other ways. More diplomatic ways. Perhaps I could help with those." _You do not give him enough credit. He's not a child, Erik. He will understand._

"I would like that very much," Erik said, looking back at Charles. "Thank you." _Maybe. Maybe not. I'm not ready for that. Now isn't the right time._

"Then send me the information and I will see what I can do," Charles said. _I sincerely hope that there does come a time, Erik. He deserves to know his father._

"You will have it in a day or two," Erik said. _I know he does and he will know. Just not tonight. Keep him safe._

_I will._ "I shall look for it. Goodnight, Erik," Charles said, watching as Erik walked out of the office. "Quicksilver, about tonight-"

"Is he ever going to tell me he's my father?" Peter asked suddenly, leaning against the door to the office.

Charles swallowed hard. "What makes you think that he is?"

"Why else would he keep coming here to check on me? And why only me? He's never interested in any of the other students or teachers," Peter said, now in front of Charles's desk. "Besides, my mother knew a man who could bend metal. Marya told me he was my father. And I've sort of thought that he might be ever since you had me break him out of prison."

Charles took a deep breath. "He needs time."

"To understand that he's got a kid? I get it," Peter said, browsing the books behind the desk. "But he is going to tell me at some point, right?"

"I certainly hope so, Peter, for both your sakes." 

Peter didn't object to being called by his given name. He just muttered a quiet "Goodnight, Professor," and then he was gone.

Charles reached for the scotch and poured himself another glass. He really needed it to deal with those two.


End file.
